The present invention relates to golf putters and particularly to a golf putter which is designed with a narrow, protruding striking face positioned on the putter head in a manner so as to strike consistently the golf ball slightly below its center. This invention minimizes or eliminates backspin or skid during the first part of the putt after the ball is impacted by the putter. A putter so designed is a significant improvement over prior art putters which impart backspin or skid to the golf ball for some distance after the ball is struck by the putter, until sliding friction between the ball and the grass surface imparts a rolling motion to the ball.
It is generally acknowledged that, the shorter the skid distance of a putted golf ball, the better its performance. This result is due, in part, to the coefficient of rolling friction which is generally much less than that of sliding friction, often as low as a very small fraction as much. Thus, a rolling ball will be less affected by surface irregularities of the green or impediments in the grass than a sliding ball. Reduction of skid minimizes the consequences of shortcomings in accuracy of alignment, errors in allowance for distance, the adverse effects of grain (direction of grass growth), and minor impediments which may be in the path of the ball in the first few inches of a putt.
In the prior art, when a golf ball is struck in its center by traditional putters being swung squarely in-line with the horizontal, the golf ball first skids without rolling for some distance before friction between the golf ball and the ground slows the golf ball's translational motion and induces a rolling action. This distance in which the golf ball skids before beginning to roll varies with the details of the prior art putter designs as well as the force of impact of the putter striking the ball. Efforts to minimize this skid condition in design and utilization of prior art putters have introduced other problems. For example, if the golf ball is struck above its horizontal center line, a forward spin will result, but the ball will momentarily be driven slightly downward, thereby increasing the normal or perpendicular force on the putting green. This downward force can significantly increase the undesirable effects of grain and other irregularities in the putting surface. Correspondingly, if the golf ball is struck much below the center line by a putter (without regard to the degree of loft built into the putter head), the golf ball will generally be lifted off the putting green, thereby reducing or eliminating the frictional force. However, in this latter case, the disadvantage is that, as the ball is being lifted, a significant amount of backspin may be introduced; this backspin will be present in the motion of the ball toward the target, producing skid which adversely affects control and predictability.
Prior art putters and golf clubs of which the inventor is aware include the following U.S. Pat. Nos.: MacKeil, 5,098,103, issued Mar. 24, 1992; Gebauer, 4,508,349, issued Apr. 2, 1985; Miller, 4,869,508, issued Sep. 26, 1989; Kinney, 4,725,062, issued Feb. 16, 1988; Schmidt, 4,521,022, issued Jun. 4, 1985; Masghati, 4,471,961, issued Sep. 18, 1984; Barr, 3,989,257, issued Nov. 2, 1976; Witherspoon, 3,759,527, issued Sep. 18, 1973; Solhelm, 3,625,518, issued Dec. 7, 1971; Baldwin, 3,368,812, issued Feb. 13, 1968; and Hinckley, 2,023,885, issued Apr. 5, 1934. The inventor is also aware of various other designs which may or may not be patented, such as the HMI II putter by Slotline and the PING putter by Karsten Solhelm. In all prior art designs of which the inventor is aware, including those mentioned above, the configuration of the striking face of the putter head is a continuous geometric shape, usually either flat or curved. One of the referenced patents, Gebauer, has three curved grooves on the striking face of a golf club. None of the references appear to teach a narrow striking surface protruding from or leading the driving face to control the area of impact so as to reduce substantially or eliminate miscues and the adverse effects of significant backspin.
The putter of the present invention has been designed with a front face which has been shaped to present to the ball a narrow impact surface, or striking surface, at an impact point on the ball slightly below the center line. The base of the putter head is positioned at an appropriate distance from the narrow striking face to provide the golfer with a convenient reference that enables him or her to strike the ball consistently at this point below the center line. At least a part of the impact surface of the putter protrudes or extends in front of the main body of the putter head such that the putter will strike the ball at the desired point below the center line even in the case of minor variations of alignment of the putter with respect to the desired horizontal stroke in hitting the ball. The narrow impact surface also minimizes the effects of any tendency to scoop under the ball which, as noted earlier, imparts excessive lift, backspin and skid, with undesirable effects. The position of the protruding narrow striking surface along the putter head, along with the distance from the impact surface to the base, providing a convenient ground reference, allows for the consistent imparting of forward momentum with a desired degree of lift and without imparting backspin or skidding to the ball; all of this combines to provide a significantly improved golf putter than is found in prior art.